Known as "The Biggest Little City in the World", Reno is famous for its hotels and casinos and as the birthplace of Caesars Entertainment Corporation - the fourth-largest gaming company in the world. But there’s more to the city than slot machines and cash - Las Vegas’ little sister is also known for hosting the biggest ukulele festival in the west.

The Reno Ukulele Festival, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in May 2018, has quickly grown into the largest Uke Fest in the western United States. The three-day event is essentially Disneyland for uke-loving adults: You buy a ticket, show up, and do anything you want – anything ukulele-related, of course. Instead of rides, the Nevada-based festival has an almost unlimited amount of workshops for all skill levels, presentations, mini-lessons, open-mic performances, organised jams, a large vendor marketplace and finally, a multi-act concert to end it all on a high note.

Every year, producer Doug Reynolds delivers a top-tier slate of the ukulele world’s best performers and instructors at The Biggest Little Uke Fest in the West. To represent multiple styles of music in both performance and workshop settings, the festival’s 2018 core group includes an impressive lineup: Six time Grammy Winner Daniel Ho, Master Teacher Peter Luongo of Langley Ukulele Ensemble, and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Abe Lagrimas, Jr.

For those who can’t resist getting their hands on a new ukulele whenever they can, the Reno fest vendor area is heaven on earth. The West’s finest luthiers are always on hand, with past artisans including Mike Pereira, Pat Megowan and David Iriguchi.

And of course, no uke fest is complete without a Super Raffle. Every year, Reno’s festival raffles off thousands of dollars of ukulele donated by sponsored, with past events including a number of mid-range ukuleles and prize ukes with a retail value of up to $13,000.

For those who really want to get in touch with the roots of the little instrument that hit Hawaiin shores more than 130 years ago, the Aloha Festival is where they should go next.

Every year, Reno celebrates the Pacific Islands in dance, music and mouth-watering food. Want to learn how to hula? Play ukulele? Fire knife dance? You can do it all here. Uke virtuosos gather every August to attend education workshops and shop the many islander merchants. Held in the heart of downtown Reno at Wingfield Park along the beautiful Truckee River, you’ll forget you’re landlocked with all the island spirit here.

If smaller gatherings are more your thing, Reno is also home to a number of ukulele groups that cater to uke players of all skill levels and ages. The Reno Ukulele Group in particular welcomes new members on a constant basis – no audition required. Sharing a shared passion, the group focuses on individual skill to give each player a chance to learn, grow and perfect their strumming, singing and fingerpicking.

Whether you’re an expert ukulele player or you’re just taking your first step tomorrow, Reno has something uke-related for everyone.